Alex: (gets excited after reading a text message from his phone)
guys! Guys! We finally have a gig!

Keith: What? Really!?

Alex: My cousin Jerry is having a back yard party next week and
he's looking for a live band! When I told him that I'm in a band
he said to get our asses over there!

Keith: Wait, isn't your cousin Jerry the guy who was in the army
years ago?

Alex: Yep! The same!

Keith: Dude! We have an anti-war song remember? "War can suck it"

Alex: Aw man! I forgot. We don't have to do that song

Gregz: But it's the only original song we have

Alex: Crap!

Keith: We can make up a new song this week (both Alex and Gregz
groan loudly)

Brian: This "gig" is there going to be people?

Alex: Of course, it's a back yard party

Brian: H-h-how many?

Alex: I don't know, like 20 or maybe 40. I hope they're all girls

Brian: I'm sorry I can't do it

Keith: Do what?

Brian: I can't perform in front people (starts packing his book
bag, getting to leave)

Keith: Why not Bri?

Brian: (puts book bag on) I have stage fright (leaves the garage)

Alex: (everyone is stunned and speechless until) whoa

Keith: I know

Alex: "stage fright"…that should be the name of our band!

Keith: (excited) I know right!?

ACT ONE

Scene 1

Modern tech high - hallways - Brian is closing his locker, Keith
walks over to Brian

Keith: Hey, Bri! We need to talk

Brian: (sighs) there's nothing to discuss. Keith (closes his
locker)

Keith: Look, me and the guys "googled" stage fright, we know what
it means

Brian: Really? You didn't know what stage fright meant before?

Keith: Um. (thinking) I used to know but totally forgot

Brian: (covers his face with his hands)

Keith: Dude, we can help you beat this stage fright!

Brian: You don't understand, I've had stage fright ever since I
was a child. My therapist theorizes it must have been an event
that occurred to me when I was young

Keith: You go to therapy?

Brian: Keith! I can not perform in front of people, especially a
mass audience. You don't understand (looking at his hands) all
those people…those eyes…those dreadful looking eyes….stabbing you
with those looks…everyone of them…looking…and…looking…and
looking…and look… (staring into empty space)

Keith: (Yells) BRI!!!

Brian: (screams) Ahhh! (shaking his head) I'm so sorry! I must
have blacked out. But like I've stated before, I'm not doing it!

Keith: Aw come on! We will help you!

Brian: I surely doubt you'll make me overcome my stage fright
(closes his locker) if my therapist failed what makes you think I
can succeed?

Keith: You still go to therapy?

(Lisa Small walks up to the boys, she's upset)

Lisa: (Clutching a paper in her hands) I can't believe this, I
just can't!

Brian: Lisa, you appear to be in a state of distress

Keith: He means you look upset

Lisa: Oh I'm just mad at the school's newspaper!

Keith: The school has a newspaper?

Lisa: Yeah, the "Daily Tech" I'm one of the journalist, I did
this piece (shows the boys a paper) how this school hasn't
recycled lately. They didn't even print it!

Keith: Oh boy

Lisa: I've spent all week on this piece and it gets cut! I just
don't get it I know it's a great piece!

Brian: You have to uncover the answers!

Keith: (chuckles) I'm sorry, can't believe this school has a
newspaper. But seriously, Bri is right. You have to take your
butt to their offices, if they have an office…

Lisa: Yeah they do have an office

Keith: You've got to be kidding! Anyways, go out there and go
face to face with the editor about this! Find out why your piece
got cut!

Lisa: Yeah! You're right!

Keith: Remember go over there and kick some ass! Show no mercy to
those pen pushers

Lisa: Yeah! I'm going over there right now! (marches off)

Keith: Um, did you know that the school has a newspaper?

Brian: Absolutely not

Scene 2

The offices of the Daily tech - A small office with only two
computers, one huge desk takes the space in the room. The desk is
piled up with photos and papers - Two boys; William and Baxter
are sitting around the desk sorting out photos - Lisa enters the
office and slams the door behind her; making the two boys jump up
from their seats

William: (wearing reading glasses and is shorter than Lisa) Lisa!
(clutching his chest) what are you doing here?

Baxter: (Bald but taller than William) Yeah, you scared us out of
our puberty!

William: We haven't gone thru puberty yet, Baxter

Baxter: Shutttttt-uuuup! (snaps William a look)

Lisa: Why can't I be here? Don't I work here?

William: (to Baxter) she didn't get the memo

Baxter: Nobody ever does

Lisa: What are you guys talking about!? My peice has been cut
from the new issue! And I demand to know why, where's the
editor!?

William: You should have read the memo

Baxter: Listen Lisa. Last week the daily tech has gone thru a
major transformation. A lot of us has been let go to make way for
new freshman journalist and columnists. A lot of our piece has
been cut because of the new editor

Lisa: A new editor? What happened to Rupert? (William and Baxter
shrug)

William: (smiling) yeah, a new editor. She's going to change the
way the school views the newspaper. With her on board someone
will finally read an issue!

Lisa: "She"? Who's she?

Baxter: (points to the door that says "editor") just walk right
in, she has been waiting for you all day

Lisa: Alright! (marches to the door, opens it and walks into the
office)

(Cut to the editor's office - The entire office is covered in
pink and red. The office resembles more of a beauty salon than a
newspaper office. Vicky Green sits behind the desk, grinning)

Vicky: Hello, Lisa Small

Lisa: (shocked) no it can't be…you can't be the editor!

Vicky: (laughs) oh guess again (stands up and walks over to Lisa)
I'm in charge now

Lisa: How did this happen? I-I don't get it…

Vicky: My daddy is in the board of Ed. When I told him I wanted
to do this he talked to the principal. And here I am.

Lisa: Oh no, but why?

Vicky: I care about the school, when I heard that you were
writing a piece on how this school doesn't recycle I know I had
to step in and take charge. I won't allow you of all people to
harm this school

Lisa: But you don't care about this school! Just the other day,
you said this school needs to go up in flames!

Vicky: True, and I still say it needs to, I just can't find
someone who's willing to do it

Lisa: So you killed my piece because…?

Vicky: Because it sucked and its not "newsie" stuff

Lisa: And what do you know about journalism!?

Vicky: Oh Lisa (laughs then puts her hand on Lisa's shoulder) I
know about everything

Vicky: Hell-oo! It's too late to do anything, the issue is
already out. Everybody is reading all of the columns that
everyone in my staff wrote, except yours of course (smiles)

Lisa: (sighs) how can you do this to me?

Vicky: Very easily (smiling)

Shelly: Totally

Debby: Bye-bye "Smalley-Small"

Lisa: (upset) this is not over Vicky, you'll end up putting my
piece on the next issue! You'll see! (walks away)

Scene 3

The hallways - Brian and Alex are walking down the hallways

Alex: One the tricks to beat stage fright is how you to treat the
audience

Brian: How I treat the audience?

Alex: Trust me, I'm a singer. So all the spotlight is on me
right?

Brian: Unfortunately

Alex: If you're friendly with them they'll treat you friendly. If
you're just messed up, they'll throw you some boo's over your way

Brian: So it depends on my attitude?

Alex: Word! If you give them a good first impression they'll
forgive you if you mess up on stage

Brian: Hmm there is logic to what you say, Alex

Alex: You see? I'm smart!

Brian: I suggest you don't jinx yourself

Alex: Oh! You're right!

Scene 4

Gymnasium - Brian and Gregz are sitting at the bleachers while
everyone in class is playing a sport

Gregz: When I'm on stage I only think about one thing

Brian: And what is that? Or is it a mistake to ask you?

Gregz: I think I have power. That's right, power that I use to
make them look at me. I have that power. When I perform on stage,
all their idiotic attention is focused on me instead of their
pitiful lives. I like to think that I'm one of the reasons they
forget about dying because they focus their hopeless energy on
me. I enjoy that feeling

Brian: (scared, gets up)

Gregz: Where are you going?

Brian: I-I-I think I'm going to play some basketball now

Gregz: But you don't play basketball

Brian: I know (walks away)

Scene 5

Mr. Jay's math class - The students are doing their work except
Keith who is talking to Brian; quietly

Keith: You know what I do when I perform on stage?

Brian: What?

Keith: In my head, I picture everyone in my audience are naked!

Brian: (shocked) what!?

Keith: Shsssh!, yeah everyone is naked, the boys, the girls;
especially the girls!

Brian: My lord!

Keith: I even picture you guys naked!

Brian: But why!?

Keith: It would be kinda odd if we're not naked with the crowd

Brian: But that's horrific!

Keith: (loud) what's so bad about naked people!?

Mr. Jay: (comes from behind their table) to the principals office
Mr. White!

Scene 6

Daily tech offices - Vicky's office - Vicky is sitting on her
desk texting and laughing, until Lisa barges in

Vicky: (laughing) and you're back!

Lisa: For the last time Vicky, will you put my piece on the next
issue?

Vicky: Oh sweetie, of course not

Lisa: Fine! I didn't want to do this but you left me with no
choice (reaches into her back pack)

Vicky: What are you going to do?

Lisa: (shows Vicky a series of photos) this was you weeks ago in
the morning; I took these photos by accident. You see what you're
wearing?

Vicky: (looks at the photos closely; face turns ghost white) no!
no!

Lisa: That's right, that's the day you were wearing that
polyester coat and you didn't even go to school

Vicky: My mother made me wear that garbage to meet her friends!

Lisa: If you don't include my piece on the next issue, I will
gladly post these pics over the internet for everyone to see!

Vicky: (loud gasp) you wouldn't dare!

Lisa: Try me!

Vicky: Fine! (gets up) but this is not over yet! Oh (laughs) its
not over!

Lisa: I know, I'm ready for anything

Baxter: (comes in the office) Um, I like really am sorry to
interrupt this epic showdown moment but Um, what letter coloring
you would like for the front page?

ACT THREE

Alex's cousin Jerry's backyard party - Keith, Brian, Alex and
Gregz finish their last song - everyone in the party goes wild

Jerry: (30 something year old man, very built with short blonde
hair; shouting) now that's what I call a performance! Good work
soldier! (punches Alex's arm hard)